Granit Xhaka just had a dream come true with Bayern Leverkusen. Now can Xhaka success will be continued at Euro 24 will be a thing to watch. Bayern Leverkusen just had a historic season in the club’s history. They are the first team to win the Bundesliga unbeaten. Leverkusen also managed to win the domestic cup DFB Pokal unbeaten. The German club almost managed to win the unbeaten treble however their dreams were shattered by Atlanta in the Europa League final. Bayern Leverkusen’s manager Xabi Alonso did wonders with the club. They finally ended Bayern Munich’s domination in the Bundesliga. The day Xabi Alonso left footballing world as the player many managers already speculated that the Spaniard will soon be back as a manager. Bayern Leverkusen’s potential was clear after they managed to climb to sixth place by the end of 2022-23 season.
Although the team showed quite some potential with players like wonder kid Florian Wirtz in the squad. It was clear to Xabi Alonso and Bayern Leverkusen that the squad will need some reinforcements. After this Bayern Leverkusen had a big transfer window where they signed Granit Xhaka from Arsenal. Xhaka was getting constant criticism from Arsenal fans and it was clear his career need a new start. Alonso also signed Jonas Hoffman, free transfer from Borussia Monchengladbach. The most surprising signing was Alex Grimaldo from Benfica. After sorting out the defense and midfield the squad was still lacking a proper number nine upfront. Thus Alonso ended up signing Victor Boniface from Union Saint-Gilloise. Bayern Leverkusen spent €90 million on new signings, but their net loss was just €20m. This was possible due to the sale of their best player, Moussa Diaby to Aston Villa.
Switzerland squad hope for Xhaka success
The best thing to happen for Xabi Alonso was every player he signed turned out to be a success. However Granit Xhaka surely played a key role in the success of Bayern Leverkusen. In the Euro 2020 Switzerland lost 3-0 to Italy which proved to be a big loss for the country. However Switzerland and Xhaka took their revenge from Italy in their recent clash in Euro 2024. Now Granit Xhaka and Switzerland will face tournament favourites England in the quaterfinals. Xhaka will be expected to start the game despite picking up a minor injury. The rise of Granit Xhaka will surely be read in the future how the player went from being most hated in the Arsenal squad. He is now one of the most loved players in his club and country and also a great captain. His captaincy and brilliance on the field are surely something else.
Xhaka has already won two Man of the Match awards, one after Switzerland’s 3-1 win over Hungary and the other in 1-1 draw against Germany. Xhaka excel in his qualities as a midfielder who breaks the opponent team’s flow of play with his tackles, interruptions and reading of the game. He is constantly keeping his team in the enemy front with his precise gameplay and the way he dictates the game. This type of player is exactly what top teams like England are lacking in their squad. In the match against Italy no other player on the ground had more touches (101), completed more passes (94/98) or created more chances (three) than Xhaka. Xabi Alonso is using Xhaka as a number 6 in his squad. We can also see this as a rebirth of the legendary “libero” role made famous by players like Xavi, Pirlo and Alonso himself.
For more sports updates, make sure to follow us on:
